Can you still be charged with DUI when you’re not in the car or keys or found behind the wheel? 16 Answers as of November 16, 2012

Three years ago state is trying the case just got the letter in the mail. For a DUI but I was not in the car in the gas station they said that I hit a parked truck but I was not in the car nor was I driving the car. I came out of the gas station and they were outside. How can I get a DUI charge against me and what do I have to do to get it dropped.

HIRE A LAWYER ASAP - yes, they may have sufficient evidence based on your description to charge you, you would have had to get to the gas station somehow and would also have to leave somehow... there is case law which allows them to make presumption... HIRE A LAWYER ASAP!

There are many things you can do to get it dropped, but you need a professional. Hire an attorney with experience in these matters. There may be statute of limitations, speedy trial, actual physical control, and a host of other issues. An attorney can analyze your case to see what is the best way to handle this.

It is possible that they can charge you with a DUI even though they didn't witness driving. But based on what you wrote, your case has many potential defenses. Lack of observed driving, the fact that the case is three years old and they are just now pressing charges (that is potentially a huge issue for the prosecutors). You should speak with a DUI Attorney in your area as soon as possible to get a more specific assessment of your case.

You need to hire a DUI specialist, and do it soon because you have only 10 days to save your license. Without a lawyer, you're a sitting duck (the prosecutor will use circumstantial evidence to show that you were driving just a few minutes prior to the cop's arrival at the scene).

If they have evidence that you were driving the car at some point, they can still charge you with DUI. The police do not need to personally witness it. Other people seeing you drive the car is enough evidence. It sounds like you need a lawyer, and that is your best chance of getting the charges dismissed.

You can be prosecuted if the state can either have someone testify that you were driving at the time of the accident (and show that you were intoxicated during that time) or if they can make a circumstantial case that you had been driving shortly before the police arrived at the gas station. You might still prevail, if the evidence is weak.

The burden is on the state to prove that you drove, operated, or were in physical control of the vehicle while "under the influence". In your case, the police obviously believe that they have evidence that you were driving when the accident happened. They can charge you but they do have to prove their case. Proof can be a matter of producing direct evidence or sufficient "circumstantial evidence" to convince a jury that you were driving.

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